About this Research Topic
Generally, the social support literature demonstrates that positive social connections (e.g., being socially included, being loved and supported, belonging to a community) can reduce the adverse effects of many diseases on patients’ physical and mental health.
However, the existing literature is mixed as there is evidence that suggests that the positive impact of patients’ social connections largely depends on the fulfillment of their specific needs. For example, results from many studies have indicated that even when the providers of support have good intentions, their efforts and contributions are not always perceived as beneficial by the recipients of support. In such cases, social connections can be deleterious and stressful – instead of mitigating stress derived from the disease and the related treatment, misalignments between support providers and perceptions of support can represent a significant source of additional stress. Similarly, top-down programs of intervention that do not intercept the recipients’ needs, are not perceived as satisfactory. Researchers have attempted to characterize patients’ problematic interactions and relationships, using terms like ‘dysfunctional’, ‘overprotective’, ‘oppressive’, ‘misinformed’, ‘paternalistic’, and ‘stigmatizing’.
This Research Topic aims to shed light on the two sides of patients’ social connections, illustrating the
salubrious effects of support as well as potential negative effects on patients’ health and well-being.
Recent studies have enlarged the spectrum of potential sources of positive and interactions of patients,
including not only relatives and friends, but also colleagues, health professionals, pets, and even unknown
people. Researchers have focused their attention on different types of interaction, both online (e.g. social
media) and offline. Furthermore, the adoption of an ecological perspective offered a way to simultaneously
emphasize both individual and contextual systems and the interactions between these systems, thus offering a variety of conceptual and methodological tools for guiding more efficacious interventions.
Consistent with patient-centered medicine, a specific challenge is also represented by the identification of the most beneficial connections in relation to health, including specific diseases and conditions. Despite a large number of diseases in which the effects of social connections have been investigated, there are still few cross disease comparisons. Moreover, it appears particularly interesting to identify which is the role of social connection at each stage of the disease evolution, from the first symptoms, through the diagnostic and the treatment processes. For example, positive social interactions are at the basis of seeking medical support, shared decision making, and a good therapeutic alliance.
On the other hand, negative interactions may be accompanied, for example, by misuse of healthcare services, non-participation in medical decisions, and lower adherence to medical prescriptions.
To achieve these aims, we encourage the submission of Original Research, including Empirical studies
that use qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches as well as Review Articles. We also welcome the following manuscript types: Methods, Hypothesis and Theory, Clinical Trial, Conceptual Analysis, Perspective, Research Protocols, and Brief Research Report.
We are especially interested in studies that investigate contributions focusing on patients’ functional
and/or dysfunctional social connections, considering their determinants and (positive/negative) consequences of their development, maintenance, and breakup. The investigation of these processes may include individual, social and societal factors, and their interaction with each other.
We require that each manuscript is situated in one (or more, for comparison purposes) specific disease or condition, without a priori restrictions for the type, severity, and duration.
However, the existing literature is mixed as there is evidence that suggests that the positive impact of patients’ social connections largely depends on the fulfillment of their specific needs. For example, results from many studies have indicated that even when the providers of support have good intentions, their efforts and contributions are not always perceived as beneficial by the recipients of support. In such cases, social connections can be deleterious and stressful – instead of mitigating stress derived from the disease and the related treatment, misalignments between support providers and perceptions of support can represent a significant source of additional stress. Similarly, top-down programs of intervention that do not intercept the recipients’ needs, are not perceived as satisfactory. Researchers have attempted to characterize patients’ problematic interactions and relationships, using terms like ‘dysfunctional’, ‘overprotective’, ‘oppressive’, ‘misinformed’, ‘paternalistic’, and ‘stigmatizing’.
This Research Topic aims to shed light on the two sides of patients’ social connections, illustrating the
salubrious effects of support as well as potential negative effects on patients’ health and well-being.
Recent studies have enlarged the spectrum of potential sources of positive and interactions of patients,
including not only relatives and friends, but also colleagues, health professionals, pets, and even unknown
people. Researchers have focused their attention on different types of interaction, both online (e.g. social
media) and offline. Furthermore, the adoption of an ecological perspective offered a way to simultaneously
emphasize both individual and contextual systems and the interactions between these systems, thus offering a variety of conceptual and methodological tools for guiding more efficacious interventions.
Consistent with patient-centered medicine, a specific challenge is also represented by the identification of the most beneficial connections in relation to health, including specific diseases and conditions. Despite a large number of diseases in which the effects of social connections have been investigated, there are still few cross disease comparisons. Moreover, it appears particularly interesting to identify which is the role of social connection at each stage of the disease evolution, from the first symptoms, through the diagnostic and the treatment processes. For example, positive social interactions are at the basis of seeking medical support, shared decision making, and a good therapeutic alliance.
On the other hand, negative interactions may be accompanied, for example, by misuse of healthcare services, non-participation in medical decisions, and lower adherence to medical prescriptions.
To achieve these aims, we encourage the submission of Original Research, including Empirical studies
that use qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches as well as Review Articles. We also welcome the following manuscript types: Methods, Hypothesis and Theory, Clinical Trial, Conceptual Analysis, Perspective, Research Protocols, and Brief Research Report.
We are especially interested in studies that investigate contributions focusing on patients’ functional
and/or dysfunctional social connections, considering their determinants and (positive/negative) consequences of their development, maintenance, and breakup. The investigation of these processes may include individual, social and societal factors, and their interaction with each other.
We require that each manuscript is situated in one (or more, for comparison purposes) specific disease or condition, without a priori restrictions for the type, severity, and duration.
Keywords: social support, shared decision making, health, problematic support, social determinants
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
